War Is Not The Answer

Associated Press | 2/25/03 | Lee Harris

[ProudEagle]

"War is not the answer."

I have noticed this sign cropping up all around the university that is near my home, and my first thought whenever I see it is, "How true." After all, think of the all the kinds of problems for which war is a grossly and insanely inappropriate solution; and if the sign were merely meant as a cautionary reminder of this fact, it would be hard to quarrel with.

But the sign is not meant simply as a general reminder, but is intended as a protest against one particular war, namely the one that is looming between Iraq and the United States.

Now there are good reasons to oppose this particular war, just as there are good reasons to oppose any particular war that you might care to name. And these good reasons boil down to two basic arguments. Either the war in question would not achieve the political goals for which it was being fought, or that it would do so at too great a cost in other desirable political goals.

This kind of opposition to a war might be dubbed Clausewitzian opposition. In this case, those opposed to the war in question may have the same exact political objectives as those who support the war, but they do not believe that this particular war is the instrument by which these political objectives can be realized, at least at the moment.

But, of course, not all opposition to this, or any other particular war, is Clausewitzian opposition; for there are those who are opposed not to this or that war, but to war under any circumstances. Their position, ethical pacifism, holds that war is an evil of such magnitude that it is better to take any political consequences, however terrible, rather than to fight a war, and even if it means accepting certain death for one's self.

Now as long as the ethical pacifist is willing to personally accept the consequences of his decision, no more argument can be made against him, provided these consequences affect only him. For, clearly, if I decide that war is not a price I wish to pay to protect myself, I cannot infer that you are unwilling to pay this price as well. And this is why the ethical pacific is prohibited from trying to pass off his purely moral decision as a recommendation of public policy.

But let us understand this correctly. For I am not saying that the ethical pacifist has no right to try to convince others of the correctness of his moral decision, for of course he has that right. He is free to go about preaching ethical pacifism to all who wish to hear him, provided he does not pass his moral advice off as something it is not—a policy position.

"Friend," he may say, "war is such a terrible thing that we should all be prepared to offer our lives rather than wage war, even against enemies who are pledged to destroy us. And we must do this even if it does in fact cost us our lives. Let us all vow to perish together rather than fight!" This, after all, was Gandhi's recommendation on the plight of European Jews under Hitler's persecution: to commit mass suicide in protest.

Yet no matter how you might be tempted to respond to such a plea, there is one thing you could not say—you could not say that the ethical pacifist was being intellectually or morally dishonest. He has stated his faith and he is owed our respect and even admiration.

Yes, he says. I am willing to take the consequence of my belief, and I am willing to try to convert you to my belief. But I will not pretend that I have an answer that I don't have. For I will not pretend that by adopting my ethical pacifism that war will go away.

And that is why I hate those signs—their coy mixture of politics and morality.

If the people who post this sign wished to make a moral statement, then let them say that war is evil, then let the sign say war is evil. Then let them say, like the ethical pacifist, "Do not fight under any circumstances, even if you must give up you life for this belief."

But instead they talk of solutions—as if this war were a stupid answer to a problem to which there is a clever correct one. And if you ask them what this clever correct answer may be that the world has so long managed to overlook, they will look at you and sigh, "There must be a better way."

Whereupon the true motive is revealed to be neither moral or political, but a childish desire to escape reality. War is the only solution to certain persistent human problems, and if you are against it, do not try to persuade us that you have discovered a new solution to the problem for which wars have been fought. You may accept this solution or reject it root and branch—but these are the only two choices we have. For wishful thinking is not a choice, but an evasion of choice.

[ProudEagle]

Interesting viewpoint....

[Chad Fairbanks]

Whether or not "War" is the answer all depends on teh question... like, if the question is "What should I have for breakfast today?", certainly "War" would be an odd answer...

However, if the question is, "How can we remove an oppressive regime that gasses it's own people, and poses a threat to our nation and our allies?" then, "War" is the only correct answer...

[Cicero]

You took the words out of my mouth. If war is not the answer, what's the question?

[Howie66]

Of course war is not the answer. In this case (Iraq & Saddams refusal to disarm), however, it appears to be the solution.

I would rather that we not have to send our Marines, Soldies, Sailors, and Airmen into harms' way, but there are times when we have no alternative. Since Saddam insists on his course of obtaining weapons of mass destruction and the United Nations lacks the resolve to stop him, we (the United States) are compelled yet again to do the heavy lifting and force a resolution to this threat.

In the end, we shall prevail.

LET'S ROLL!!!!

[PokeyJoe]

I like the last sentence is a new sign!

WISHFUL THINKING
IS NOT THE ANSWER!

What do you think?

[Snuffington]

Well written article. Do you have a link to the source?

[Chad Fairbanks]

I like th idea - the best part is, it could be used for pretty much ANY position the Democraps and the anti-american twits take ;0)

[ProudEagle]

Do you have a link to the source?

Wished I did friend. It was emailed to me from a friend. Thought it was worth sharing with the rest of us right thinking people merely as food for thought. For me it eloquently explains the futility and ignorance of the anti-war movement. He said it far better than I ever could have.

I'll email him back and ask him where he pulled it from. When I get a link I'll post it.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Yet no matter how you might be tempted to respond to such a plea, there is one thing you could not say—you could not say that the ethical pacifist was being intellectually or morally dishonest. He has stated his faith and he is owed our respect and even admiration.

First, I can say they are ignorant and ill informed, and in this world and times that ideology is extremely dangerous. I can also say "ETHICALLY" they do more HARM than GOOD. So I could say they are morally dishonest!!

As to the anti-war peaceniks being owed my respect and admimration? I think NOT.

If they were well informed I might respect them more, but they aren't. Hell, they don't even ASK or KNOW who is paying for the organizing of these rallies. Do they think the busses and porta potties came out of no where? The adds?

Have they even looked up Inernational A.N.S.W.E.R's history? Or who they are linked to?

Do they know that Dr. Sami Al-Arian is listed as a supporter? Do they know who he is? Do they know who Ramsey Clark is?

No.. I get sick to my stomach when I see these signs. They are all hypocrits, hypocrits willing to harm their own country.

If you "aid and abet" the enemy, you are my enemy.

If you demoralize our troops like they were demoralized during Vietnam, you are our enemy.

I'm sick of ANYONE saying how brave these ill informed people are. WRONG!!

Now, lets talk about the bravery of a President who walked into a hornets nest and is facing the mess head on, and the troops who "get it"..and are willing to die for all of us, instead of these weak spineless people who said Clinton was their president from the waiste up. The same Clinton who did not get UN approval to go into Iraq in 1998, the same one who put our troops in Bosnia saying they would be gone in 18 mos. They are still there!! Where were these moral activists then?

These pacifists should be required to listen to the Iraqi defector who when asked what he would remember the most about his torture under Saddam Hussein said "I will remember hearing the children screaming".

As a parent and grandparent, as someone who loves children, I cannot put one of my little ones faces in that scenario without feeling sick to my stomach and heartbroken.

No.. the pacifists are not someone to admire and respect. They are the company they keep. They just aren't smart enough to figure out who that is.

[Darksheare]

"For wishful thinking is not a choice, but an evasion of choice."
I always liked taunting the "truth is relative/ everything is relative" crowd by saying, "So, by your thinking, If one says that there is no gravity then there shouldn't be anyone dying from falls, correct? If truth is so relative, then there is no reality, correct?"
They usually say yes.
Then I invite them to step out the window and prove it through empirical data, from the top floor.
They usually call me an Intellectual Philistine and storm off.
The pacifists are acting as if there is no evil, no truth, no right, no wrong, except for what they will to exist and as such WE are evil while THEY are not.
They aren't going to accept the truth test, though.
They aren't going to visit the enemy to prove there is no truth, and they won't admit that they are wrong.

Yes, the writer does have an interesting point.

[ABrit]

Great idea for a sign. It points up that those opposed have no practical alternative.

[Mr. Jeeves]

True ethical pacifists had best be prepared to enter the gulag, face the firing squad, wear the burqa, accept genital mutilation, or hug a sucide bomber. My readings suggest that these so-called "ethical pacifists" will do none of these things - they just want somebody else to shoulder the burdens of their freedom.

[ProudEagle]

They aren't going to accept the truth test, though.

Agreed. What I gleaned from the article (and anyone may feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), is the author was pointing out their child like perceptions and the intellectual vacuum of their arguments. To me at least, if one were to read between his lines, he was basically calling them cowards and calling them out to prove their point, which as you pointed out will never happen. Reality and truth are very hard to face when one is uneducated, unaware and uninformed.

The only "pacifists" I've ever known in my life who were willing to accept the truth were CO's who volunteered as corpsmen, doctors and nurses. At least they showed incredible courage in their convictions by sharing the battlefield and honoring their fellow countrymen. They understood the truth, and will always have my undying respect and admiration. I may not have agreed with them, but I respect them. They, at least, understood duty, honor, country. The rest are simply uneducated cowards in my book.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

. . . let them say, like the ethical pacifist, "Do not fight under any circumstances, even if you must give up you life for this belief."

But instead they talk of solutions—as if this war were a stupid answer to a problem to which there is a clever correct one. And if you ask them what this clever correct answer may be that the world has so long managed to overlook, they will look at you and sigh, "There must be a better way."

. . . the true motive is . . . childish . . . wishful thinking--

not a choice, but an evasion of choice.

[Darksheare]

Probably the best way I've ever seen it put.

Never met a CO while I was in uniform, though.
Our unit medics were more of the "hey let's go get the enemy" types.

The peace protestors are little more than childish idiots, or worse, purely evil bent on destroying the country they take advantage of.

(I was artillery, so the way I usually put things deals with 'splosions and noise... I'm sure the 'pacifists' would have crapped their knickers the first time they saw and felt a howitzer fire..)

[Chummy]

The "War is not the Answer" signs were in abundance among a group of anti-war protestors massed under the United Nations flag in southeastern Wisconsin this past week. Attending a "Support Our Troops" Rally organized for the same time and place, I asked as many of these message-bearers, "What then IS the answer?"

The majority said nothing.

A few replied, "Peace," but not as in peace being a solution, but rather more like, "Peace, man."

My favorite response, however, was a middle-aged woman, who answered, "Um."

"Um?" I asked, surprised. "'Um' is the answer to the Iraqi and terrorism questions?"

She thought for another moment, and said, "Um." Again.

"'Um' is your answer. You hold that sign over your head, and you've no answer, lady? You're gonna have to do better than that."

She simply wandered off, a dazed look on her face.

Their organizers craftily lure folks like this into their clutches, and then foist onto the American public and the world that these people actually hold an opinion, when nothing could be further from the truth.

[Charlie OK]

pac·i·fism: strongly and actively opposed to conflict and especially war

It's just one of those days
when you don't wanna wake up
everything is f****d
everybody sucks
you don't really know why
but you wanna justify
rippin someones head off
no human contact
and if you interact
your life is on contract
your best bet is to just stay away motherf****r
its just one of those days
{chorus}
its all about the he says she says bulls**t
i think you better quit
lettin s**t slip
or you'll be leavin with a fat lip
its all about the he says she says bulls**t
i think you better quit
talking that s**t
its just one of those days
feelin like a freight train
first one to complain
leaves with the blood stain
damn right i'm a maniac*
you better watch your back
cause I'm f****n up your program
and then your stuck up
you just locked up
next in line to get f****d up
your best bet is to just stay away mother f****r
its just one of those days
I feel like s**t
my suggestion
is to keep your distance
cause right now i'm dangerous
we've all felt like s**t
and been treated like s**t
all those motherf*****s
that wanna step up
you know i pack a chainsaw
i skin your a** raw
and if my day keeps going this way
i just might break something tonight
gimme something to break(3x)
how bout your f***ing face

[Charlie OK]

hyp·o·crite :

[My2Cents]

War isn't the answer. VICTORY IS!